An Unexpected Gift

Today brought much excitement and joy in our home.  Our church family at Reach Christian Church, Longreach blessed us beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine. 

Firstly Sam was given a wonderful gift of a truck and trailer from one of the men at our church.  To say was excited would be an understatement.  He has decided that the truck will be Jack's too and they will share.  Thank you so much for bringing a smile to Sam, you know who you are.

We were also given a gift as a family of an iPad mini! Wow, wow, double wow.  It is something I never dreamed would happen.  For a while now, we had been wanting to get one, but with us being on one wage for the longest time, luxuries like this were well and truly out of our reach.  It will be such a blessing to us, especially while Sam is in hospital.  When we opened the gift together I could not breathe, I was just so blown away, that these people that we have come to know over the last six months would do such a thing of love.  And we are so humbled that God knew the desires of our heart and would provide such a thing for us.

In addition to this the church has also given us a portion of money to help us in the time when we are going to be away.  This made me cry happy tears.  This will mean that we can pay rent for another week, so Don and Jack can come down when Sam has his surgery.  With Don being at his new place of employment for only six months means that he has not had the opportunity to accrue much leave and we were concerned that we were not going to be able to pay rent and bills.  This gift will help us in this regard and shows us that God has not forgotten about all of the practical parts of Sam's surgery and all that goes with it. For the last few weeks these things had been weighing heavy on my heart, being the budgeter in our family.  And so I have been praying and waiting, waiting and praying.  In the last few weeks we have also been given other gifts in this regard, all helping to make things easier. 

And because I am honest I will also add this...

It also made me cry humble tears because in the last few months with the kids being sick and me being so focused on Sam's upcoming surgery, making Longreach our home and making sure our family is on track, I feel like I have not had time to make good friends here in Longreach.  Everything has been so busy and in a way I have also closed myself off trying to sort out my own heart and head.  So to be thought of in this way, and given such a gift brought first a sense of shame in my own behaviour and then thankfulness for other people's love. Thank you Reach Christian Church, we love you.

In addition to this we have seen Sam bounce back from his illness this week with such vigour.  After our trip back to Barcaldine this week for the dentist, all should be done in readiness for us to be on our way.

And now, one week before we are due to fly out, I have a renewed sense of God behind us in love and marching before us in victory.

If God is for us, then who can ever stop us.

Living Hope

HOPE: The assurance that our future is secure, that God is God and come what may, He loves us in a life altering way.

So for the Watson family living in hope looks like this at the moment.

Don is back at work and enjoying meeting some newcomers.  He comes home for lunch every day and we have been making the most of our time together.  Truly I love this man more than I ever have. 

Jack has recommenced school and is settling in well to Year One.  He regularly brings home frogs in his pocket that he rescues from the toilets and drains.  He also now has a Broad Banded Sand Swimmer (Lizard) that he looks after.  Between that and the ant farm, we are constantly on the lookout for moths to feed them.  Most nights at around 11pm Don can be found in his boxer shorts swatting and catching moths on our back deck.

Sam is beginning Kindy tomorrow and will be attending three full days a week.  He met his teacher on Monday and we have been busy preparing all that he needs to take with him. He has been counting down the sleeps until he starts.  He is at the pinnacle of happiness at the moment. Healthwise he is very well. He walks through the shops with me, plays on the playground at Jack's school in the morning and still has a rest at lunch to see him through. 

I have organised a morning tea for Congenital Heat Disease Awareness on the 20th of February and have commenced another Avon campaign before we go away.  I am looking forward to using the time while Sam is at Kindy to organise our home more and organise my heart and head also.

The days here in Longreach have mellowed to not quite reach 40C, and the mornings now have the freshness that has so long been denied. With that reprieve from the stifling heat has come a renewed sense of God's presence, vitality and our love for one another. Surely this was God's plan in postponing Sam's surgery.  I look forward in anticipation for more of His blessings, as we walk this road one day at a time. 

Adventures, Lingering, Longreach

 

 

The beginning of November saw a change sees a change of pace for us. Don has just returned from a three day ministry trip in the north west of QLD. Stops at Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Normanton and Mt Isa made sure the days were filled to capacity. Pastors Scott, David and George packed in with Don to visit the churches at the stops. 10 hours of flying in the Saratoga, took them over some rough terrain and it was an enjoyable and enriching trip for all involved.

 Some times the ride was a little rough due to the heat and thermal winds but they all managed to hold their lunch.

 Our country Australia is rough and rugged and brilliant in colour, especially from the air. Being able to fly is a great blessing and saves many hours on the hot, bumpy and dusty roads.

 

 

Normanton church is 3.5 hour to fly by plane from Longreach, or 10-13 hours by car. The aboriginal painting that you can see in the right hand corner is of the last supper. The pastor and his wife cooked Don and the others up a wonderful dinner that night of Mackerel and Barramundi to celebrate the occasion.

 

 

This Crocodile statue is a replica of a real crocodile that was shot and killed by a woman in Normanton some years ago.  It is 28 feet 4 inches in length and weighed around 2 tonne.  Imagine coming across this one while having a dip in the river.  Apparently there is one to rival it's size in the river at the moment.   Fancy a quick swim anyone?

Don was even able to catch up with his sister Lenita in Mt Isa.  It had been over three years since they had seen each other.

And then of course there was little Steele to coo over, the newest addition to our family. 1, 2, 3 awwww.

 

 

 

So here we are doing what we know God called us to do, in a way that is unconventional and not at all how we planned.  It is simply marvellous!  All of His ways are. It is like we have been given a gift and are still unwrapping it one layer at a time.  And each layer of paper that is removed reveals a new blessing, an new gift just for that season. 

 

This Sunday morning was spent at home (a rarity for us) and as I watch my boys play in the warm Longreach weather I see them growing up before my eyes.  Just last night we played our first family games of Uno.  We no longer have toddlers but little boys who are full of life and love.  On Tuesday Sam and I fly to Brisbane for his heart appointment and we go with fresh reassurance of God's goodness to us. A renewed realisation of his greater plan for each of us.  I cannot possible ask for more than that.

 

 

 

One day at a time.

Less hurry, more linger.

Incidental fun, learning and teaching.

More joy, to chase away the blues.

Meandering with God, enjoying His comfort.

Longreach Happenings

When I look back over the course of this year, the contrasts astound me.  Here we sit in the warm Sunday afternoon weather in our shirts and skirts (shorts in Don's case), when only a few months earlier jacket and scarves were necessary.  Now we live in a dry and hot climate when only a while ago we were throwing snowballs at each other and riding the toboggan. 

Don is enjoying work and the many new found friends we have made in Longreach.  His work is varied and never boring.  He has had the opportunity since moving here to work on Cessnas, Barons, and a Robinson Helicopter.  This past week he and another guy flew out to a station about an hour and a half south of Longreach to look at an aircraft that had hit a kangaroo and done quite a bit of damage to the front end.  He had to drive the engine of the aircraft about a kilometer, the engine hanging from the front of a tractor.  It was 38C that day and the first time Don had driven a tractor for many years.  Quite an adventure all around. He was able to fly the Saratoga out and back.  This Thursday he leaves for a three day trek in the Saratoga with Pastor Scott and another local pastor to visit Normanton, Cloncurry and Winton. It is so amazing that God is using him to do exactly what we would have been doing with MAF in a different setting. 

I am still trying to find some kind of routine here in Longreach.  We have very busy days here and many visitors, which I love.  The heat makes me drowsy mid afternoon and then I just want to stay up and enjoy the cool of the night (which makes for sleepy mornings).  Avon is going well.  I have so much fun with it.  I have also applied to do supply teaching at the Kindergarten and schools next year while Sam is at Kindy.  So I will just have to wait and see how that goes.  The chapter that I submitted for inclusion in a book called 'How Prayer Impacts Lives' has been accepted and will be released in print next year.  As time allows I continue to write when I can, when inspiration strikes.  Otherwise I am kept busy being a Mum to two very active little boys and all that entails. 

 Jack is loving Prep and is looking forward to being a big grade one boy next year.  His fascination with animals, rocks and fossils is ongoing.  I forever find him digging up rocks and on more than one occasion have ended up with a washing machine full of pebbles.  I am really happy with the progression of his reading and the way that he is growing up into a thoughtful boy, full of enthusiasm.  Just today he caught a baby gecko in our pantry and released it into his bedroom.  Every week at church he retrieves green frogs from the toilet and brings them home in an effort to create a colony at our house. (I did tell you I was a busy Mum).

Sam captures everyone with his smile and sprite wherever we go.  He loves playgroup and cannot wait for Kindy next year.  He loves the warmer weather but struggles if caught out in the midday hours in the extreme heat.  I mean I feel it, so I imagine he would feel it much worse.  We do all of our jobs in the morning and then stay inside during the heat of the day.  We travel on the 7th of November to his appointment in Brisbane for his heart review.  Not much will slow Sam down though, even his inability to gain weight.  It has been six months since he has put on even 100g.  It is difficult to be his Mum and not worry about that, but that is what I have chosen to do. He is happy and healthy, so this is what matters.

As a family we feel content and healthy.  There is anticipation in the air, like there are gifts that are yet to be unwrapped and I know God will reveal them in time.  Our biggest gift here has been the new friendships we have formed and the strengthening in our family of our love for one another.

A Very Special Lady

Today I have the honour of sharing a little story with you about a lady who is full of love. I look at her and take note, so that one day I too may have a little portion of what she has.  I want to introduce you to Grandma Dunn, my husband's Grandma, Great Grandma to my to boys.

Grandma Dunn has recently been to visit us in Longreach and travels frequently to visit her family and friends.  She is an avid knitter and in recent years has used her skill to do much work for those who need it most.  Grandma began knitting when she still had Grandpa here with her.  He needed to sit much more than she did and he would ask her to sit with him.  In an effort to keep her hands occupied she would sit and knit and they spoke together.  Sadly Grandpa passed a few year ago and the knitting became more than something to fill the time, it became a passion. To date Grandma has knitted over 240 sets of little singlets and beanies which have been packaged and sent to India and now to Nepal.  She is amazing.  She would shake her head and tell you she is not.  God is amazing and those mothers and little children need these clothes.  That is why she does what she does.

I watched Grandma knit while she sat in our lounge recently.  Though her body aches from the travel and parts of her don't move as they should anymore, her hands are strong, her mind is quick and she still gives the best hugs. Though her heart must ache for Grandpa and she misses him terribly she has chosen to make the most of all of the time God has give her.  My boys love her, as do I .  We recognise the Spirit of God in her and the love that she has to share.  I aspire to have half of what she does at her age.  That I could just have a portion of the get up and go and a perseverance to push on and do what I can with what I have.

We are blessed to have her and know her.  We love you Grandma.  You inspire us to live the best lives that we can. You are leaving a legacy of love that will not be forgotten.

Do you have someone close to you who inspires you?

Family Traditions and Other Stuff

This week I have been thinking on family traditions, particularly from my side of the family.

One of these is rock collecting.  My parents loved taking us rock collecting as kids and I still love it.  Recently Jack has become fascinated with rocks, and fossils and so we have been exploring the Longreach countryside for great rock treasures.  We are having so much fun and Longreach is ideal for such a hobby.

The photos don't so them justice but in the sunlight they are beautiful.  We found agates, loads of petrified wood, and many others that I just don't know yet.

The other tradition that has begun, is that I have become an Avon Representative for Longreach.  My Grandma and my mother were at one time before me, so in a small way I feel a part of something bigger than just a new business venture.  It is fun and I enjoy meeting new people and talking with them.  I get to take Sam with me and I enjoy having a new challenge. I even started my own Facebook page for customers here. Come on over and join, especially if you live in Longreach, and even if you don't, do it to make me feel loved :)  Brochures arrived on Friday and can also be emailed.  All of this and a new haircut and I'm ready to go! 

This week we also adopted Mango the magpie.  He had been blown out of his nest in a very tall gumtree by the wind.  He was unable to get back up, no matter how hard his parents tried to get him to.  In the end we brought him inside and took care of him.  Sadly he died overnight and we all cried, before burying him with the petunias in the back garden.  He fell over 10 meters from his nest, so it was possible he had internal injuries or died of shock.

This week we have also acquired pet lizards and a very big green frog that would easily filled my entire hand.  This combined with a big week of friends and visitors has been action packed.  Time to go and have a little nap I believe.

Lovely and Not So Lovely

I have had to learn how to be a changeable lady, at least on the outside.  Our travels around our diverse and beautiful country, have led us into may different sub culture and climates.  Each has brought it's reward and challenges.  Somehow I don't think it would be quite as complex if I had only myself to look after and think about. So here are my current list of loves and learning to with's living in Longreach QLD.

Loves:

The weather is predictable and mostly sunny.  Each day is warm, or at least warms up to a reasonable temperature.

 

The sky is so big and blue and at night the stars are evidently more bright and numerous.

 

The country is big and wide and flat and the sunsets are breathtaking.

 

The people are friendly and just drop around and say hello.

Everyone is keen to help you out and get to know you.

The school is fantastic and Jack is loving it.

Everything is within walking distance or five minutes drive.

 

My home is full of natural light and is airy, catching even the slightest breezes.

Our new church family is awesome.

Learning to loves:

The mosquitoes are eating us alive and we need to remember what insect repellent is and how to use it.

Using evaporative air conditioning means we have plenty of cool air but it gives me a dry throat ii I leave it on at night and I talk all day sounding like a 'two pack a day smoker.

Everything is more expensive out here, so budgeting is a challenge on one wage.  Cost of living is one of the highest out of all of the places we have lived.

The heat can be searing and the middle of the day will be spent indoors in Summer.  Temperatures reach close to 47C in the hot months.

I often think of the disciples as they travelled from place to place and how they learned to live in what ever areas they stayed.  They were able to adapt to the culture in which they lived, dined as the community dined, worked as they worked and yet still they remained centred in God.  So it is with us, though we may live in the city, the country, the hot, the cold, with the wealthy and the not so wealthy, still we are who we are.  And as we live, love and linger, we too are changed and change others.  Each day we have a choice to live purposefully where we are planted. 

Each home has it's challenges, though in Longreach the good by far outweigh them. If you could name one love and challenge in your own home, what would it be? I'd would love to hear them.

Captain Starlight's Lookout

What a day of inspiration!

Today we travelled to Captain Starlight's Lookout just outside of Longreach on the Cramsie-Muttaburra Rd. It was a 50km drive on unsealed road and we could almost hear the Prado resounding with throaty exultation to have her tyres chew through the gravel.  This was one of the smoother parts of the road/track.

 

We saw a big bearded dragon, emus and Eastern Grey kangaroos. We stopped at this pretty waterhole where Jack proceeded to get stuck in the mud and finally managed to extract his shoe.

 

 

The lookout was easy to spot, as the expanse surrounding it was spread flat like butter on bread.

 

 

Captain Starlight was a cattle rustler and his story is well worth the read if you have a spare 5 minutes. Read here.  He manged to wrangle a herd of 1000 cattle and run then down through some of the harshest country in Australia and sell them for a profitable fortune in South Australia.  A feat that Burke and Wills failed only a few years earlier. In the end he was trialed and found not guilty due the admiration of his amazing feat.  Late in life he also ran the first lot of cattle out to Brunette Downs in the Barkley Tableland, a place where my husband Don spent a part of his childhood. The lookout was used to keep an eye open for anyone who might discover his herd before he had a chance to set off on his grand adventure south. Oh, does anyone else feel a new novel coming on?  I know I do!

 

 

Sam climbed all of the way to the top by himself.  A prouder Mummy you have never seen.

The view from the top was worth the climb.

Doing just like Daddy does.

These little mountain men, were pretty proud of their explorative efforts.

Enjoying My Family

The last few weeks I have been re-learning how to love and appreciate my family, my home and making new friends. The last 12 months have been a whirlwind of activity and busyness, we are well overdue for a change.  I had to learn the hard way many years ago that living a simple life does not make you lazy or idle, or without goals.  Even here I have been asked when I will return to teaching, encouraged to put Sam in care and return to work.  It may shock some to hear me say that I may never return to full time work, in the way the world sees it.  In the time I have been at home with the boys I have learned that I have hobbies and skills I would never have learned if I had been at work.  I have learned how to be happy with my own company and not rely on others for entertainment, even though I still love to get together with family and friends.  I have learned that I love to be a wife and mother and do all that involves on a day to day basis. I have written and had a book published, spoken at conferences, had another book accept my work in it's publication, and I have almost finished writing my first novel.

Life is not boring when you choose to stay at home.  In fact it is rich and fulfilling and I get the pleasure of being able to be there for my family whenever they need me, even for the small things. In light of the refreshing revelation I have been given this week, I thought I would share some special moments with you.

 

Making soap again was so much fun and I forgot how good it makes the house smell.

Longreach celebrated it's 125th anniversary this week and we went along to the street parade.  It was fantastic and they even threw lollies and new water bottles out for the kids.

 

The vintage cars and fire engines were a highlight.

 



Checking out the Cobb & Co display at the Station Stop, in Longreach.

Going rock collecting down near the river.

 

We saw a mother emu and her chicks while were there.

And of course Bear just loves going exploring.

 

The paddle steamer cruises the river every afternoon.  We took this snap on one of our four-wheel driving adventures.

 

This bearded dragon was on the road and of course he needed saving.  Of course Don and Jack jumped at the chance.

 

 

Sunsets like these are a favourite part of our afternoons.

 

 

The back yard is beginning to green up now.  It was dry and dead when we moved in.  We are starting on the gardens now also.  This load of sand was delivered this afternoon for Sam's new sandpit-his birthday present (yes, it's a little early)

 

Ahh it's finished and all ready for playing tomorrow.

 

Yes, my days are full and I am content and happy with what each day brings.  That is enough for me.

 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. (Phil 1:3)

 

Wild West

This week has been wild. We have seen some funny things, done some funny things and loved every moment of it.  Here are some we'd love to share with you.

This truck pulled up one afternoon to stay at the caravan park across the road and I couldn't help but take a snap.  You can read more about their adventures on their website.  These guys ride their postie bikes all over Australia.  It's awesome!  Check out the cartoon on the side of the truck.

Stopping at the IGA to get groceries, this pretty car caught my eye.

We attended the annual Spring Dance at Jack's school on Friday night, the theme was Outer Space and let me tell you the costumes that night were nothing short of extraordinary.

Sam and his new little friend were inseperable all night. So cute!

Yesterday afternoon after church we (the church) all went down to the river and had some fun. Jack is in the red hat in the clump of trees near the water (yes, he is wearing a life jacket), and Don is getting ready to kayak out into.  He got about two meters out and rolled over.  It is difficult to learn to balance.  He lost his sunglasses for the effort but had fun anyway. 

 

 

 

Sam, Bear and I also went for a paddle.

 



 Jack and Bear went on their own adventure.  Jack is growing up so fast.  It is great to watch his confidence grow.